If you have any trouble understanding this option, you should call or email us for an explanation. You have only one opportunity to purchase this protection, at the time of your original registration. Once you have registered, our website will not allow you to go back and select this protection.
Here are some of the things that have happened to our RAGBRAIers during the last month before RAGBRAI. The boss decided they couldn’t be spared at work. They have been diagnosed with an illness. A member of their family has needed support through a crisis. People have been struck by a car while training for the ride. Their plans for childcare have fallen through. They have lost a loved one. Although we—and every other tour operator—must have a refund deadline and cancellation policy, and although ours is quite liberal, and even though we have published our cancellation policy at least six times prior to the deadline every year, we can’t help but feel for those people who cancelled out of necessity after the June deadline. After attending a conference of bicycle tour directors and discussing this issue with other tour operators, we offer this solution.
If you want to extend the 90% refund all the way through until Wednesday, July 19 at 10:00 pm, you can click on “Cancellation Protection” on the online registration form. The non-refundable fee for this protection is five percent of the value of services you have reserved with PBV. (One exception: check with us please for cancellation protection on the PHAT Trailer Accommodations.)
This protection covers only the period from June 15 to July 19 at 10:00 pm. This protection is not applicable to people who travel to Iowa for RAGBRAI and leave the ride early for any reason. This protection applies only to fees paid to Pork Belly Ventures, not your RAGBRAI registration fee or other travel expenses. To use this protection, you must contact us by email or phone by 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19. Your refund will be processed at our earliest convenience, possibly in the early days of August, if your cancellation comes at the last moment.
In short, without protection, you stand to lose 100% of your fees paid to PBV after June 15th. But by spending 5% up front on a non-refundable fee, you can get the 90% refund if you cancel for any reason all the way through July 19 at 10:00 p.m. You may purchase this protection at the original time of registration ONLY.